A-Rod Enjoys ‘Dinner Date’ With His Daughters After J.Lo’s Montana Getaway With Ben Affleck
Alex Rodriguez enjoyed a family night with his girls Natasha, 16, and Ella, 13, amid ex-fiancée Jennifer Lopez’s reunion with Ben Affleck.
Alex Rodriguez, 45, seems to be keeping busy with his family following Bennifer’s surprise reunion. The former Yankee player shared as photo of a dinner with his daughter Natasha, 16, and Ella, 13, to his Instagram account on Thursday, May 13. “Din din with my girls! #DaddyDinnerDate,” he captioned the sweet photo of the group around a set table.
They appeared to be enjoying various skewers, grilled vegetables and rice, which were beautifully laid out in dishes on the square table. In the photo, Alex appeared to be handing a skewer to Natasha. Ella appeared to be busy on her phone texting for the candid moment as her dad flashed a closed mouth smile. Various family photos could be seen behind them, but none including A-Rod’s ex-fiancée Jennifer Lopez, 51.
Just days ago, Alex avoided answering reporter questions about Jen’s reignited romance with Ben Affleck, 48. A-Rod was dressed in a gray suit and blue dress shirt as he headed into a Miami restaurant, just four weeks after he and Jennifer confirmed their split to the TODAY show. Bennifer’s shocking reunion comes 17 years after the pair ended their highly publicized engagement (and Jen reportedly returned the $2.5 million pink diamond ring, designed by jeweler Harry Winston).
The Gigli co-stars appeared to enjoy a romantic getaway to Big Sky, Montana, which is one of Ben’s favorite spots. He was in the drivers seat of a large SUV as Jennifer rode in the passenger, clearly visible through the car windows. The low key trip was a chance for the two stars to reconnect after so many years, a source told HollywoodLife. “Ben had a great time with Jen in Montana, and he’s happy they were able to spend some one-on-one time together for a few days,” a source close to the Oscar winner EXCLUSIVELY told HL. “He isn’t putting any expectations on things and is taking things one day at a time. Ben pulled out a few stops by trying to impress Jen during their trip, and he even cooked for her on one or two occasions,” they also revealed of the trip.
Although Bennifer’s split was drama-filled back in 2004 (intense media scrutiny and an ill-fated Vancouver strip club visit both played a role), the pair were able to forage a friendship more recently. In 2020, Ben praised Jen for having her “biggest movie at 50” with Hustlers, and later expressed his appreciation for her work ethic in a recent InStyle article. “Where are you keeping the fountain of youth? Why do you look the same as you did in 2003 and it kind of looks like I’m in my 40s…at best?” the Boston native wrote in the short entry. At some point, the friendly vibes led to some flirty emails.
“I thought I had a good work ethic, but I was completely humbled and blown away by what she was committed to doing day in and day out,” he added. “She remains, to this day, the hardest-working person I’ve come across in this business,” he said. “She has great talent, but she has also worked very hard for her success, and I’m so happy for her that she seems, at long last, to be getting the credit she deserves.” Jen was absolutely flattered by the kind words, replying, “Ben is funny! He still looks pretty good too.”